X, The Moonshot Factory · 14 hours ago
2026 PhD Residency, Machine Learning Explainability (Tapestry)
Mountain View, CA
Full-time
Onsite
New Grad
$109K/yr - $150K/yrX, The Moonshot Factory is focused on innovative solutions for the electric grid, leveraging AI to enhance energy efficiency. The PhD Resident will research AI techniques for improving explainability in complex decision-making systems related to electric grid operations.
AerospaceAugmented RealityAutomotiveRobotics
Responsibilities
Research and prototype explainability approaches for complex optimization and decision-making systems in the electric grid
Apply LLMs to generate natural-language explanations of model outputs, constraints, and tradeoffs
Explore reasoning over graph-structured data (e.g., power grids) to produce grounded, faithful explanations
Investigate methods to detect and explain incorrect or anomalous network model inputs in natural language
Translate academic research into practical feasibility demonstrations using real or simulated grid data
Collaborate with machine learning researchers and power systems experts to refine approaches and evaluation methods
Clearly document findings and communicate insights to inform future research and product directions
Qualification
Required
Currently enrolled in a PhD program in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
Strong research experience in machine learning or deep learning
Hands-on experience with LLMs, transformer-based models, or graph neural networks
Strong programming skills in Python and experience with frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX
Ability to reason about complex systems and communicate technical concepts clearly
Interest in applying AI to high-impact, real-world infrastructure challenges
Preferred
Experience with optimization, convex optimization, or decision-making systems
Familiarity with power systems, energy modeling, or networked physical systems
Prior work in explainability, interpretability, or human-centered AI
Publications in ML or AI venues (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR)
Experience working on applied research projects in industry or startup environments
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision coverage
Competitive residency stipend and housing relocation support for the duration of the program.
Direct mentorship from industry-leading research scientists and engineers.
Opportunity to work on "moonshot" problems with access to Alphabet-scale compute and resources.
Company
X, The Moonshot Factory
X, the moonshot factory invents and launches breakthrough technologies and radical solutions. It is a sub-organization of Alphabet.
Founded in 2010
201-500 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Helen Riley
COO/CFO of X, The Moonshot Factory (aka Google X)
Artem Goncharuk
Director of Engineering
Recent News
Crunchbase News
2026-01-02
2025-12-10
Business News Americas
2025-11-08
Company data provided by crunchbase